Healthy Chicago Lawn
Working Together for a Healthier Chicago
Healthy Chicago Lawn is a community-based coalition working to improve the overall quality of life and well-being of the Chicago Lawn community area. Healthy Chicago Lawn membership includes:
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| Healthy Chicago Lawn Coalition members and Jody Kretzmann from the Asset Based Community Development Institute. |
- Community residents
- Local service providers, agencies, & organizations
- Local businesses
- Schools
- Anyone interested in the health of the Chicago Lawn community
Starting in April of 2004, Healthy Chicago Lawn undertook a planning process to identify resources and gaps in the community. Based on community members' experiences, data that describe the community and the availability of local resources, the coalition identified key areas of concern. Coalition members developed strategies to address the identified issues and work together to support collaborative efforts that seek to improve the overall quality of life and well-being of Chicago Lawn.
In order to achieve the strategic goals that Healthy Chicago Lawn coalition members developed, the coalition formed four action groups, each focused on one priority area. Each action group developed a set of activities designed to address the identified issues and is currently working on the implementation of these activities.
- Awareness and Access to Comprehensive Health Services
- Healthy Lifestyles and Behaviors
- Youth
- Community
and Civic Engagement
Awareness and Access to Comprehensive Health Services
The Healthy Chicago Lawn coalition found not only a lack of available resources in our community, but also a lack of awareness of what is in fact available, both on the part of community members and service providers. The work of this action group aims to increase knowledge of available resources, decrease barriers to accessing health services, and enhance collaboration among service providers. To this end the group is working on 3 activities:
- Compiling a resource guide for health care/social service providers and residents with comprehensive health care information
- A discussion series among area providers for networking and education
- Targeted outreach for public benefit programs such as Kid Care
Healthy Lifestyles and Behaviors
One of the main priorities of this group is to address the availability of healthy foods in the Chicago Lawn community. Many community members have limited access to grocery stores and do a large portion of their shopping in corner stores. The Healthy Lifestyles and Behaviors group is working with local businesses to provide nutrition information in corner stores as well as sampling of produce, in order to increase both the availability of produce in these stores and the demand from community residents. In addition to promoting healthy eating, the group is working to support teachers and parents through a speaker series in community meetings.
The Chicago Lawn community has a large number of youth but few youth programs. The youth action group’s general goals are to create more opportunities for local youth, address issues related to youth who are not in school, and promote safety for youth. Working with local youth, this group is launching a magazine by and for youth on the Southwest Side of Chicago called “The Voice.” The magazine’s content will include: articles about issues that are affecting youth in the community, columns on upcoming events and job opportunities, and a space for art, poetry and photos.
This action group is focusing on engaging Chicago Lawn families in civic life. The group’s two main activities involve hosting a block club convention, possibly leading to a formalized block club coalition, and working to support the implementation of the Health Care Justice Act to increase health care coverage for neighborhood residents.
Our
vision for a healthy Chicago Lawn is a safe, inclusive, culturally accepting
community in which people feel connected and invested. Building on existing
and seeking new resources, our community fosters collaboration among all
of its members, developing and promoting an environment that provides
high quality of life.
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Healthy
Chicago Lawn | Chicago
Lawn Community Area |
Ilana
Gotz Bodini |